Spider-Girl (May "Mayday" Parker) is a comic book superheroine in an alternate future of the Marvel Comics universe. She was created by Tom DeFalco and Ron Frenz as a spin-off of the Spider-Man character, and first appeared in What If, vol. 2 #105, later getting her own ongoing comic book which has become the longest-running superhero book with a lead female character ever published by Marvel, partly due to the fan backlash which has caused them to recant several cancellation attempts.

The story concerns Mayday Parker, the future offspring of Peter and Mary Jane Parker, who was born a few years before Peter lost a leg and was forced to retire following the horrific final conflict with the Green Goblin. (It's implied that Peter was responsible for the Goblin's death but never confirmed in the series.) For many years the duo chose (rightly or wrongly) to keep their past from Mayday and kept their fingers crossed she wouldn't develop powers of her own.

In the event, May began developing versions of her father's Spider-powers when she was 15. At the same time Normie Osborn (Green Goblin's grandson) set out to restore the family name (as he saw it). Mayday donned the Ben Reilly Spider costume to stop him and soon took to crime fighting, at first hindered then helped by her worried parents.

The series has recently passed issue 75, whereupon the title character temporarily assumed a mostly black outfit, before reverting to her earlier costume at the end of the story. It is currently confirmed that it will continue to be published until at least the middle of 2005. Though still relatively weak, sales of the comic remain decent, and several "digest-sized" collections of the series' early material have apparently sold very well (with more on the way), and the book is out of immediate cancellation danger for now.

See also

• MC2

External links

• Spider-Girl Message Board
• Spider-girl MC2 Universe
• Interview with Tom DeFalco on Spider-Girl and Last Hero Standing